Chapter 6: Unwanted guest

*Jane*  

"Ugh, never mind! I shouldn't even be bothered about him." I groaned, lightly hitting my head in an attempt to clear my thoughts.

The memories of what transpired before alpha Damien departed still haunted my mind. The closeness between us made my heart momentarily keep beating.

Feeling uneasy, I murmured to my wolf companion. "Frey, do you think I'm okay? I feel like my heart's about to leap out of my chest. It's ridiculous."

"He's your mate, what else would you expect?" Frey bawl, sounding irritated.

Upon hearing her response, I rolled my eyes, fully aware that she considered my question foolish.

Despite knowing the answer, I couldn't resist asking, "Are you absolutely certain he's my mate?”

Frey affirmed Damien's status as my mate, a truth that resonated deep within me. Yet, despite this inner knowing, I still harbored doubts and felt the need to confirm it. The idea of the notoriously cruel alpha, Damien, whom I had only recently encountered, being my mate seemed almost unbelievable.

"Yeah, he's your mate. It's just surprising to think you'd have another mate after being rejected," Frey exclaimed, her tone reflecting her own astonishment.

My expression darkened at Frey's words. With a pout, I retorted, "Why do you insist on reminding me of that rejection? What's the point?"

She seemed unfazed by my reaction, a fact that only added to my irritation. Deep down, I could almost hear Frey's innocent voice feigning innocence. "Well, it's true, isn't it? You were rejected in front of everyone, so why make such a fuss?"

"Are you trying to upset me on purpose?" I grumbled, running a hand through my hair, my frustration mounting.

It was clear that Frey was determined to push my buttons, bringing up the humiliating rejection I had endured. Her apologetic tone only came after she noticed my growing agitation. "Jane, I'm sorry. I was just teasing, not trying to get a rise out of you."

Feeling slightly mollified by her apology, I allowed my mood to lighten. "Fine, I guess I overreacted. Let's talk about something else then," I replied, attempting to mask my lingering annoyance.

I rolled my eyes in an attempt to feign ignorance. "I'm not sure what you mean by 'something different.' Care to elaborate?"

But in truth, I knew exactly what Frey was hinting at. She wanted to discuss Alpha Damien. The mere mention of his name sent a shiver down my spine, filling me with a sense of unease. What if someone overheard us? The thought alone made me wary, hesitant to speak his name aloud.

Frey pressed on, clearly unwilling to let the topic drop. "Come on, tell me. Don't you think he's handsome?" With no response forthcoming from me, she became even more insistent. "Why are you so quiet? You have to give me an answer."

I sighed deeply.

"Handsome, you say?" I paused, struggling to gather my thoughts. Despite several moments of silence, my mind remained a jumble. Frey's persistent voice snapped me out of my reverie.

"I'm waiting, Jane," she said with a tinge of annoyance in her tone.

"Hmm... handsome?" I hesitated, speaking the word aloud almost inadvertently.

"Of course he is. I know that. But I want to know what you think," she said, her impatience palpable.

"I'm not sure," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper this time.

Truthfully, I didn't have a clear answer to her question. While Alpha Damien and I had exchanged a few words in the past, those encounters had been fraught with tension. Amidst such tension, I never really had the opportunity to assess his appearance. Yet, if there was one thing I was certain of, it was that he was far from unattractive.

Frey's disappointment was evident. "You're clueless! How can you not know whether your mate is handsome or not?" she yipped.

For a moment, I entertained the thought that perhaps I was indeed lacking in some way. But then, a realization dawned on me.

With a heavy sigh tinged with sadness, I muttered, "I'm just a breeder, after all. Let's not forget that."

A heavy silence descended upon the room.

No one, not even Frey, uttered another word. It seemed she had also come to realize the weight of my words.

"Frey?" I called out,

Yet, there was no response.

"Frey," I called again, but the silence persisted.

Deciding to leave her be, perhaps she preferred the quiet after my reminder.

Knock, knock!

At that moment, a knock echoed through the room.

Snapping out of my melancholy, I quickly sat upright and smoothed out my rumpled dress.

That must be Mara.

"Come in," I called out loudly, inviting the visitor in.

To my surprise, it wasn't Mara who entered, but the elderly maid.

For some reason, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease around the elder maid. There was a distinct vibe that she didn't particularly care for me.

"You need to return to your room," she stated abruptly, without even acknowledging my presence.

Baffled, I lifted my snout to peer at her. "What do you mean?"

Her sudden icy tone left me utterly taken aback.

"Isn't she a maid?" From what I could tell, she was merely a maid, so why was she speaking to me, as though I'm an unwanted guest. Even worst, a lowly servant beneath her.

With a confused and perplexed expression, I awaited her reply. However, as the moments passed, there was still no answer forthcoming.